It has long been a known fact that allergies run in families, making children where one or both parents are allergic more likely to develop these conditions. Once a baby starts eating solid foods, it is common for parents to start worrying about food allergies. That's also because, for some kids, these allergies can be serious, even life-threatening. Therefore, parents, instead of keeping their kids healthy, now look for ways to prevent food allergies in their children.

Thankfully, the latest approach effectively teaches them how to reduce the risk of food allergies in kids. A thoughtful and changed approach, which involves the early introduction of food allergens into the child's diet, can reduce the risk of food allergies in kids. If you want to know more about this strategy or who among your kids is at high risk of developing food allergies, continue reading!

Which Kids Are Considered “High Risk” For Food Allergies?

Children who suffer from severe eczema, especially those who develop it in the first few months of life, are at higher risk of developing food allergies. Eczema breaks down the skin, and the barrier is not intact. The skin can become easily dehydrated, irritated, and red. That is why food allergens, such as peanuts, can react to the skin and make their way to the immune system. The food allergen can trigger the production of allergic antibodies that are responsible for an allergic response.

Allergic reactions are caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system. Food allergies can occur to anyone and at any age. However, they are more common in children than adults. Although rare, someone can even develop a food allergy to foods they have eaten for years without any previous issues. Any food can cause allergic reactions, but some food allergens are common in 90% of allergic people. These include peanuts, dairy, eggs, tree nuts, fish, wheat, soy shellfish, and sesame. Milk and peanuts are common food allergens for infants.

What Happens In Your Body When You Have A Food Allergy?

A food allergy occurs in the body when the immune system overacts to a substance or food. The immune system identifies that a substance or food is harmful. As a protective response, the immune system shows mild to severe symptoms, including repetitive cough, hives, vomiting, tongue swelling, or shortness of breath. These reactions often occur within minutes or hours after eating the allergic food.

A more severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis can impair breathing and affect heart rate by dropping blood pressure too quickly. It can be fatal if not treated. This type of whole-body reaction must be treated quickly with an epinephrine injection. An epinephrine injection can reverse the symptoms by reducing throat swallowing and opening the airways.

How to Help Prevent Food Allergies in Kids: The Latest Simple Approach

Parents have been advised to avoid introducing peanuts into their children's diets for many years. According to some experts, delaying the introduction of peanuts in children's diets could prevent the development of food allergies when they get older. Delaying other food allergens, such as eggs, dairy, and wheat, was also recommended in the same manner, especially in “high-risk" kids, such as those with eczema. Most advice about delaying the introduction of food allergens was based on expert views and not on factual data. However, their view changed when a study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine found that introducing peanuts early on in a children's diet can prevent the risk of developing a peanut allergy.

After this study was published, many experts recommended that children be introduced to food allergens from a young age (aged 4 and 6 months), including eggs, wheat, and fish, alongside peanuts. But do not give them actual peanuts or anything they might choke on easily. Instead, try using snacks made with peanuts meant for babies. You can use some smooth peanut butter (not crunchy) and feed it to your baby. Also, you can mix it in other foods or bake it into the bread. Eggs, on the other hand, are soft and safe for babies. They are easy to bake into other foods as well. You can introduce these food allergens to your child's diet in many safe ways. However, you can use your doctor's advice if unsure how to do it.

Food Allergy Prevention Tips

You can follow these tips to prevent the development of food allergies in your children.

• Routine Feeding: Feed your children food allergens 3 to 4 times weekly in infancy and early childhood. Routine feeding decreases the risk of developing food allergies later on.
• Take Care Of Your Child's Skin: Keep your baby’s skin protected and healthy to avoid unwanted exposure to food. For babies with eczema, keep their skin protected with creams and medications from your doctor.
• Cross-Contact: Remember that allergens can be transferred from one food to another during meal preparation or handling. So, be careful and aware of cross-contact.
• Food Labels: Always read the food labels carefully to identify if the food contains any allergen. Likewise, when dining out, ask about all the ingredients in your child's food.
• Seek a Doctor's Advice: If your children have any known or suspected food allergies, try not to give them any food allergens. You never know if your kid is allergic to certain foods. You should talk to a pediatrician before feeding your child any solid foods. If he develops any symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, or blood in the stool after eating anything, seek immediate help.

Conclusion:

If you are a parent still avoiding feeding your child food allergens, it is time to change your approach. Early introduction is advised to prevent children from developing food allergies. Peanuts, eggs, wheat, whitefish, nuts, and sesame are the common food allergens. If your kid has eczema, they will likely develop food allergies because of the exposure of food allergens to their immune system. You should immediately seek treatment if your child reacts to food allergens, such as vomiting, tongue swelling, rashes, and shortness of breath. Some tips include routine feeding and taking care of the child’s skin.